Graduate Program

Whether or not to pursue graduate study is a very personal decision. Graduate school is qualitatively different from your undergraduate program -- courses have a different emphasis, especially at advanced levels, and faculty develop into colleagues. You get to develop your creativity. Graduate degrees create different opportunities, whether in industrial research, process development, management, or academia. It is wise to consult with your faculty, and then to follow your instincts about whether graduate school is right for you.

At WVU, we provide a wide range of research and educational opportunities for graduate study. We offer MSE, MSChE and PhD degree programs with the MSE available to students who hold degrees in other fields of engineering or science. Our smaller student population allows us to offer highly personalized education and allows advisors to spend more time with students. A significant portion of our research is funded by industry.

We encourage graduate students to participate in national and regional professional activities, including the annual Regional Chemical Engineering Graduate Student Symposium and annual AIChE meetings.

The department maintains a state-of-the-art PC lab and software. A new engineering research facility provides the department with modern wet-chemical laboratories. Research areas include biochemical and biomedical engineering, carbon products, catalysis and reaction engineering, fluidization, fuels, particle science and powder technology, polymers and composites, and semiconductor processing.